The Perfect Present
by Just a Little Spark
Summary: In which Lee has an epiphany and finally gets the perfect gift for Neji. (Lee-centric in the beginning, but NejiTen fluff at the end) (Happy (belated) birthday, Neji!)


Rock Lee was known as the strongest, handsomest, most sought-after bachelor in all of Konoha. At least, that was what he thought of himself. Ah, the wonders of high self-esteem.

Anyway, it was rare for this young man to be seen with a frown on his face. And yet, here he was, frowning. You see, twenty-one year old Lee was stumped, and it was for good reason.

He didn't know what to get Neji for his birthday.

Kami knew that Lee tried every single year to buy the perfect present for Neji. Ever since they had been teammates, Lee (despite the self-proclaimed rivalry that was between the two ninjas) had always tried to make an exception for one day of the three hundred and sixty five days of the year to try and be nice to Neji. As the years passed, these days became more genuine offerings of friendship, and Neji stopped trying to throw Lee's presents out of the window.

It had started with weapons. Lee tried buying kunai, senbon needles, and shuriken, but he quickly realized his mistake when he saw Tenten using kunai that looked specifically like the ones he had given to Neji. From weapons he tried moving on to clothing articles... Except he wasn't a girl, and could never get Neji's size completely right.

How he wished he could find a gift for Neji as easily as Tenten could. Neji never smiled in Lee's presence, but whenever Tenten would come up to the Byakugan wielder, his face would soften. If that wasn't a sign Neji was happy, nothing was.

Tenten _always_ knew the best things to give to Neji. From new scarves Neji could use later in the year to a bowl of herring soba, the list of Tenten's successful gifts went on and on. It had not occurred to Lee back then that there was some other reason why Tenten always got Neji's gift wishes right. He had merely thought that she was obviously closer to their stoic teammate, since they always sparred together. Neji probably let his birthday wishes slip while training.

Unless...

Lee shook his head. There was _another_ reason, wasn't there?

He thought back, a few months previous, on Tenten's birthday last March. Lee had bestowed upon her a beautiful hair clip and set of ties, which Tenten _gushed_ over. It was easier buying a gift for her, anyways, since she was always bound to use them. But Neji had gotten her a set of kunai. Not just your ordinary set of kunai though, it was an old set that was rumored to have belonged to one of Tenten's idols.

How _had_ Neji known to buy her _that_?

Lee actually stopped in the middle of the road to collect his thoughts. This was an _epiphany_ , he decided, and sat down, ignoring the looks of the people around him.

One won't simply let it slip whilst sparring who their favorite war hero was. A fact like that was something you talked about over ramen, or discussed on the way home... Something that Neji and Tenten had been doing a lot recently.

Come to think about it, after the war, the two were inseparable. Lee didn't think much of it at first. Between he, Tenten, and Gai-sensei, it was Tenten who had cried the most as Neji lay unconscious in the Medical Ward. The first person Neji asked for once he was conscious was Tenten. Lee and Gai-sensei weren't offended; the two of them were best friends, and it was understandable to want to see your best friend.

But what if... What if there really _was_ something else there? What if there were feelings, a fire of love that almost, very nearly rivalled the fire of love he used to have for his Sakura-chan?

He thought about it long and hard, suddenly becoming teary-eyed.

His two teammates were _in love_!

Oh, he could kick himself; how could he not have seen it? He was very sure they weren't lovers, though... Tenten was not one to keep quiet about things like these, and Neji would probably let her say things even though he was not as vocal as their panda haired weapons mistress... Yes, he was sure now. They were not in a relationship.

But what if he could fix that?

Suddenly, Lee had a very, _very_ good idea what to give Neji for his birthday.

(*)

"Another year, another present," Tenten chanted to herself as she finished tying the ribbon on her present for Neji. She was particularly proud of this present; it was a set of old scrolls of some sort of jutsu Neji was interested in studying. _The road after being appointed an ANBU Captain doesn't mean the end of learning,_ she remembered Neji saying.

A blush grew on her cheek, and she sighed. Her inconsolable crush on her teammate had yet to fade, and she knew that this wasn't a simple crush anymore. She was... Dare she say it? In love.

And yet, every year, when she planned to tell him how much her heart hurt when she thought he was gone forever, she froze. She'd give him her gift and smile at him as he said thank you, knowing she got him the right present this year. She'd listen to him obligingly as he told her about the dismal present Lee had given. Earlier in their ninja days, he would give her Lee's presents. Although she felt bad for Lee, she accepted them, anyway.

She was thinking about giving up on the entire concept entirely. He would never reciprocate her feelings. Even if he did, she was sure he wouldn't be allowed to marry her. No clan, no remarkable attributes... Not even a last name. She sighed sadly, and started walking to her front door.

She could get used to a single life.

As she stepped out, something outside stimulates puts her senses on high alert. . _Something's not right, something's not right_ , her senses wailed, and she instinctively reached for the kunai strapped to her leg. But before she can do so, something shiny flies towards her from the bushes, and buries itself in her neck.

She's unconscious before her fingers can even touch the cool metal of her kunai.

(*)

Neji left for training later than planned; Hanabi and Hinata have put it upon themselves to make him breakfast in bed. Hinata made the mistake of putting Hanabi in charge of the actual cooking, and they all ended up eating Neji's food for breakfast.

It was funny, though. Usually at least one of his teammates would be at his door by now. Tenten and Lee didn't follow a schedule, and they were as unpredictable as Naruto. But one thing stands, and that is that they are always there before he leaves for training, dropping off their gifts so that he doesn't have to lug them everywhere once he reaches the training ground.

He decides not to think much of it, until Lee catches up to him just as he leaves the Main Gate. "Ha... Happy birthday, Neji!" Lee grinned hugely, giving his teammate his classic thumbs up. The green-clad ninja is obviously out of breath, which is unusual.

Neji suspiciously glanced at the huge box Lee's carried over to him. It's _huge_. He doesn't even want to know what Lee killed for him - at least, he assumes it's something dead, probably a large animal of some sort. Nothing _else_ would fit in that box-

"Thank you," Neji replied, cutting off his thoughts of murder. The years had taught him how to deal with Lee, and he didn't want to go back to square one.

"I do hope you like my present! I put a lot of thought into it!" Lee announced, nervously glancing at the box. It was starting to move around a bit, some indistinguishable noises coming from inside.

"Lee..." Neji looked at Lee the way only a Hyuga could. "Did you kill anything?"

"No!" Lee looked appalled. Did Neji really think... "I did not _kill_ anything!"

Neji continued to stare at his teammate. The look unnerves Lee, and he immediately rips off the amount of tape and staples used to secure the top of the box. In a fluid motion, he also whips off his leg weights, and speeds off. "Happy-birthday-Neji!" he yelled, disappearing.

The top of the box burst open and a very familiar kunoichi poked her head out, face flushed with anger. "Rock Lee, I swear to _God_ the next time I see you, _I'll castrate you_!" she screeched, although it was unlikely that Lee could still hear her. Her back is facing Neji, so she doesn't catch the stunned look on his face - Lee had gotten him _Tenten_ for his birthday? Was he that easy to read?

He barely has time to compose his face again when he hears her mutter under her breath. "What kind of mess has he gotten me into _this_ time," she groaned, and turned around to face the birthday boy himself. She turned pink. "Neji!"

He smirked. "Tenten."

"Ha... Happy birthday!" She stuttered out, her legs still in the box. "Wow, this is something that doesn't happen everyday." She chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head.

Neji offered her his hand, to help her out of the box. "Thank you, Tenten." She gracefully leapt out of the box with his help. "How _did_ he get you into a box?"

"Ambushed me as I was getting out of my own home," she groaned, embarrassed. "I can't believe I fell for that."

"At least he poked holes in the box," he noted.

Tenten snorted. "He knocked me out, too, with some kind of poison. I just regained consciousness. Do you know how scared I was?"

"Hn... I have an idea," he nodded, placating her. "So... Do you have any idea why you were Lee's present?"

The thought _just_ sinks in. Lee had gotten the abysmal idea that she would be the perfect present for Neji. For the third time that day, she blushed a fierce shade of red. "I have no idea." She turned her head to the side. "Ah, jeez, Neji! You don't have to interrogate me or anything."

His eyes softened; he would never admit that he found Tenten _cute_ whenever she blushed. "Actually, I believe I have an idea why Lee chose you as his present."

She turned to him in surprise. "Huh. Why?"

He shook his head, amused. "I think that Lee has picked up on something that I've been wanting to say to you for years."

Tenten's breath caught in her throat. "A-And what would that be?"

He leaned closer to her, tilting her head up so that she was looking straight into his eyes. "You're beautiful," he murmured, his warm breath fanning over her face. Tenten shivered.

"Tha-Thanks."

He made a sound that was almost strangely a laugh, and she looks confused. "What?"

"That's not what I meant to tell you. Maybe this would be better."

She's still confused, until Neji presses his lips to hers.

She immediately forgot about the world around them, and wrapped her arms around his neck, fitting into him as perfectly as she had dreamed.

Maybe she didn't need to castrate Lee, after all.

(*)

 **A rushed attempt to catch up with Neji's birthday! Happy belated birthday, favorite character. I know you didn't die. (Is still in denial)**

 **I can't say I'm really proud of this? It seems rushed. And Neji might be a bit OOC. I will edit this once I get the chance, but I seriously just want something to be up for Neji's birthday.**

 **Hope you all found it at least... Acceptable?**

 **R &R, peeps! **

**/disappears in a cloud of smoke**


End file.
